Alias?: None notedPension?: UnknownPortrait?: Gibson CollectionCollege?: Not FoundVeterans Home?: Not Found
(If there are state digraphs above, this soldier spent some time in a state or national soldiers' home in that state after the war)

Biography

William J. Sperry was born in the small, historic and quaint community of Cavendish, Windsor County, Vermont on 28 December 1840, the son of John G. & Roxanna (Pratt) Sperry. He was a first generation Vermonter on the Sperry side, his father having come to Cavendish from New Haven, Connecticut around 1820. William m. 1st, in Cavendish 9 June 1863, Percy E. Bridges of Chester (b. 1840, dau. of Perry & Louisa (Roberts) Bridges). She died in Cavendish, 26 March 1877 (age 34). He married 2nd at Cavendish 1 August 1888 Lucy M. Perry (born Rockingham, VT, 1851, daughter of Ralph & Lucretia Eleanor Perry).

William J. Sperry was a Vermont Civil War soldier. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry in the assault on Petersburg, Va. He served as Sergeant of Co. "E" Sixth Regiment and was promoted 2nd Lt of that Company 21 Aug. 1862. He was commissioned 1st Lieutenant of Co."E" 3 March 1863. He was commissioned Captain of Co. "C " on 8 August 1864. He was commissioned Major of the Sixth Regiment 7 Jan. 1865; Brevet Lt. Colonel 2 April 1865 and Lt. Colonel 4 June 1865. He mustered out as Major 25 June, 1865.

After the war, Colonel Sperry settled, spending the greater part of his life, in his beloved hometown community of Cavendish. The local newspaper reported, at the time of this 2nd marriage, "Ah there! Did you know that on Wednesday evening of this week and at about 9 o' lock thereon, the Rev. Mr. Wight called at the residence of Henry C. Perry of this place [Cavendish] and there found Colonel William J. Sperry evidently spending the evening with Miss Lucy M. Perry. Everything being in order and readiness and the pair being in a condescending mood, they at once stood up and by a few words spoken and a few promises made, the Colonel and Lucy were made one. The congratulations and best wishes of the community are expressed to the newly married couple. "

We learn from the Vt. Tribune newspaper, some personal tidbits about the post Civil War life of Colonel Sperry, as a citizen of Cavendish:

18 Oct. 1895: Col. William J. Sperry of Cavendish has been granted an increase of pension through the C.C. Johnson agency from $12 to $30 per month, in the remarkably quick time of twenty-five days. The case was made special on account of the Colonel's feeble condition. "

29 Jan. 1897: "The Lewiston Maine Daily Sun reports: Lt. Col. W. J. Sperry of Cavendish, Vt., a life-long friend of Samuel Hibbert, Esq., is a guest of that gentleman at his home on Lisbon, Street. Col. Sperry is a veteran of the 6th Vt. Regiment and is making a host of friends among local G.A.R. men to which Mr. Hibbert has introduced him. He will attend a meeting of Custer Post this evening. He is one of the nine men who were honored by General Grant for a medal for bravery on the field of battle. "

30 April 1897: "Mrs. William Sperry is sick with measles and Mrs. Ned Sawyer of Felchville is caring for her. "

12 Jan. 1900, Cavendish: "Mrs. L. C. Perry, in her 84th year, was visited by all her children on New Year's Day, they all not having been together before for twenty years. They were Mr. W. M. Knowlton of Brookline, Mass., J. M. Perry of Brattleboro; and M. C. Perry, Mrs. Mary L. Bigelow, and Mrs. W. J. Sperry of this place. "

We learn also from the Tribune of 9 March 1900: "William Sperry circulated a paper among the friends and neighbors of C. E. Warfield and obtained sufficient funds to saw and split seven cords of wood for Mr. Warfield which he was unable to do because of his own poor health. "

The Vermont Tribune, 1 June 1900: "Memorial exercises were observed at Cavendish primary school, Mrs. Fannie Raymenton, teacher. The schoolhouse was tastefully decorated inside and out. William Sperry, a war veteran, exhibited a canteen that he had carried in the Rebellion and made appropriate remarks. Remarks were also made by Rev. D. W. Lyman. "

25 June 1901: "Colonel W. J. Sperry has been appointed a member of the legislative committee of the Fort Stevens Lincoln National Park Association of Washington, DC."

1 Nov. 1901: "William Sperry was taken sick about three weeks ago with an army trouble, of which he has been sick a great deal heretofore. It has resulted in disease of the brain and has been in a critical condition for the past two weeks, having been unconscious since last Friday. "

On 8 Nov. 1901: "Dr. Knowlton of New Jersey sanitarium came to William Sperry's Friday and returned Saturday. "

On 13 Dec. 1901: "William J. Sperry, who has been very ill, is able to sit up a short time."

On 16 May 1902: "Mr. & Mrs. William J. Sperry and son Fred spent Sunday in Londonderry."

On 20 June 1902: "W. J. Sperry is in Montpelier attending state convention this week."

On 4 July 1902: "Mr. & Mrs. James Perry and sons of Brattleboro are visiting his sister, Mrs. William Sperry."

7 Aug. 1903: "Colonel William J. Sperry and wife of Cavendish visited at Arthur Spaulding's on Saturday, August 1st, it being their wedding anniversary and also their custom to celebrate it together."

15 April, 1904, "J. M. Perry of Brattleboro, for 22 years a piano and organ tuner, visited his sister, Mrs. William Sperry, over Sunday."

9 March 1906: "James Perry of Brattleboro has been visiting his sister, Mrs. William Sperry, while on his journey on the road tuning pianos." same date: "William Sperry, when returning from town meeting Tuesday and opposite his residence, fell in a swoon from some unknown cause. He was carried into the house by two men who happened to be passing by. Mr. Sperry did not rally for two or three hours sufficiently to know what had happened. The next morning he was up and around the house and is in a fair way to recover."

Colonel William Sperry finally succumbed to the recurrent fever he had experienced intermittently since coming home from the great war. He died at Claremont, NH 3 March, 1914

Children:

1. Fred Child Sperry, b. 1 May, 1889. Tribune, 20 Jan., 1905, Cavendish; Fred Sperry is laying off from his studies on account of defective eyesight caused from over-study. It is not of a permanent character as he was advised by specialists at Hanover, NH to refrain from mental exertion for a few weeks." Fred m. 29 May, 1918 Edith Fannie Kibbey (b. 11 March, 1890). He d. at Cavendish., 4 July, 1942. Edith d. 27 Nov., 1970.

2. William Joseph Sperry, b. & d. 2 Jan., 1922

Contributed by Linda M. Welch, Dartmouth College

Obituary

Col. William J. Sperry, aged 73 years, died March 3 at his home in Cavendish, having been a lifelong resident of that town. Mr. Sperry was a veteran of the Civil war, first enlisting in the three months men, Co. E, 18th (sic) Vt. Vol. infantry. After returning home he soon enlisted in Co. E, 6th Vt. When he won promotion from a non-commissioned officer to major and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel for bravery at the assault of Petersburg. He has since the war been awarded a medal of honor on account of meritorious service during the rebellion. Col. Sperry has been to several sessions of the Vermont legislature, twice as assistant door-keeper. In 1888 he represented the town, and in 1910 and 1912 was door-keeper for the legislature. Mr. Sperry had been a member of the Masonic order for fifty years.